The Flash may finally be providing an opportunity for Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen to lead his own story, but Batman fans are also in for a treat with this upcoming DC movie. Along with Barry re-teaming with Ben Affleck’s version of the Caped Crusader, Michael Keaton is also donning the cape and cowl again for the first time since 1992’s Batman Returns, as the Scarlet Speedster will run into (pun unintended) this Bruce Wayne after altering reality. Keaton has talked before about what it was like putting the Batsuit on again, but now a new story has surfaced revealing him geeking out and getting emotional over the costume.
Earlier this week, not only did a new trailer for The Flash drop to the public, but there were two advanced screenings for the movie held: one in Los Angeles, the other at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. After the former screening, director Andy Muschietti and producer Barbara Muschietti held a Q&A, and among the topics discussed was Michael Keaton making a special request while he was dressed as Batman. As Andy Muschietti recalled (via IGN):
It was funny because at one point during the scene where we shot him in the full suit, he was like, ‘Can you take a picture? It’s for my grandson.’ It was one of those moments where he really showed something was inside that was very emotional.
When Keaton starred in 1989’s Batman, his son Sean was six years old, and all these years later, the actor had the opportunity to have a new picture of him as Batman taken for his grandson. Hopefully such a special photo would help ensure that the boy considers his grandpa to have starred in the best Batman movies. But along with recollecting that moment of Keaton in the Batsuit, Muschietti also said the following about when the actor saw The Flash’s Batcave set for the first time:
When [Keaton] arrived to the set, the Batcave was already finished and it was lit and everything. He stayed like this [eyes wide] for a while. I didn’t want to interrupt him. I just wanted for him to take it in. Who knows what was going on there? But something was going on there.
After working with Tim Burton on the first two Batman movies, Michael Keaton decided not to return for what would become Batman Forever, and Val Kilmer succeeded him in the role. Back in 2017, Keaton attributed this decision to that particular Batman movie’s script not being good, and then in early 2022, he shared that his vision for the flick clashed with what director Joel Schumacher wanted to do. As for why he agreed to appear in The Flash, he bluntly attributed it to thinking he could “could go back and nail that motherfucker.”
Prior to August 2022, Michael Keaton was supposed to play Batman again in the Batgirl movie, and it’d even been reported that he might take on a Nick Fury-like role in the DCEU. However, the Leslie Grace-led superhero movie was scrapped that month, and with a new actor set to play the Dark Knight in The Brave and the Bold for the new DC Universe, as well as Robert Pattinson holding down the mantle in Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe, it’s looking like The Flash will be Keaton’s final outing as the popular superhero. Still, between his Batman outings at DC and playing The Vulture in the Marvel offerings Spider-Man: Homecoming and Morbius, he’s done quite well for himself when it comes to superhero movies.
We’ll see Michael Keaton back in all his Bat-glory when The Flash races into theaters on June 16. If you’d like to revisit Batman and/or Batman Returns ahead of time, they can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription.
